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Front Matter Elephant Editors Elephant Volume 2 | Issue 4 Article 1 1-1-2000 Front Matter Elephant Editors Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/elephant Recommended Citation Shoshani, J. (Ed.). (2000). Front Matter. Elephant, 2(4), i-iii. Doi: 10.22237/elephant/1521732161 This Front Matter is brought to you for free and open access by the Open Access Journals at DigitalCommons@WayneState. It has been accepted for inclusion in Elephant by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@WayneState. Ahmed remains the symbol... This drawing of the legendary Ahmed is based on photographs taken at Marsabit, north Kenya, by Jeheskel (Hezy) Shoshani in June 1973 and incorporated with other reference material. The final layout of the front cover is by Jann S. Grimes and Gary H. Marchant. Ahmed, Kenya’s most celebrated elephant was, and still is, regarded as a national monument. His estimated height is 10 feet (3.05 meters). He had the largest tusks of any elephant seen in recent years; his right tusk was 9 feet 9 inches long (2.97 meters) and the left 9 feet 4 inches (2.85 meters). Each one of his tusks weighed about 148 pounds, approximately 67 kilograms. During Ahmed’s life, the average elephant tusk weighed about 70 pounds, while 100 pounds was considered large. At present the average tusk weight is much less. A worldwide protest to save Ahmed’s life was ignited by a report that two American hunters< were after his huge ivory. This protest included more than 5,000 letters and cards delivered to the East African Wild Life Society. Thereafter, Ahmed was totally protected from human harassment: 1) by being in a protected park — Marsabit. 2) by a decree from the late president of Kenya, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. 3) by daily monitoring of his movements performed by two askaris (soldiers). 4) by “the close proximity of two younger bulls.” The last factor is perhaps more legend than observation. In the Presidential Decree, the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta described Ahmed as “...this individual animal which captures the imagination and concern of all mankind.” It was further stated in the Decree that “...under no circumstances may (Ahmed) be hunted or harassed by anyone.” Early in 1974 Ahmed died at about 55 years of age. The death was “natural”; that is, he was not the victim of the “Ivory Rush” as was initially feared. Ahmed’s skeleton and replica are preserved in the National Museum of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya. The great elephant remains the symbol of conservation for this and future generations. Look for his image to mark the conclusion of articles or sections in this issue. For additional information, see Elephant. Volume 1, Number 2, page 35, Number 4, page 234, and Volume 2, Number 3, pages 7-32. Elephant+ is the official publication of the Elephant Research Foundation (ERF), an international non-profit organization established in June 1977 to promote interest in and collect and disseminate information needed for education, research and conservation of elephants. ERF works in collaboration with many conservation organizations worldwide. All support, financial and otherwise, is provided via contributions from individuals and institutions worldwide. Pertinent articles, information and news are contributed free by our readers. Elephant is distributed from its home base in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA. + The first two issues of Volume 1 were entitled Elephant Newsletter. Subsequently, the word “newsletter” was dropped from the title, and this publication is known simply as Elephant. Disclaimer: Although every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, neither the editors nor the publisher can accept responsibility for any errors that may have escaped their notice, nor in any way be liable for any eventualities arising from such errors, nor for the consequences of actions, misguided or otherwise, taken as a result of information or advice contained herein. See also inside of back cover for disclaimer, copyright ©, and ISSN. A Title Page for Volume 2, for binding purposes, appears at the end of this issue. Editorial Board and Reviewers The following people served on the Editorial Board; some also reviewed manuscripts for Elephant. An asterisk (*) indicates a person is a Board Member of the Elephant Research Foundation. Larry D. Agenbroad Richard M. Laws Dalen W. Agnew * David J. Lowrie * Judith K. Berg Gary H. Marchant * J. C. Daniel Eleanor C. Marsac * Estelle R. Davidson Cynthia M. Moss Iain Douglas-Hamilton Ronald I. Orenstein * John F. Eisenberg George E. Overbeck * S. Keith Eltringham Jules L. Pierce * Joseph G. Engelhard * Lois E. L. Rasmussen Rafael Geron Ian M. Redmond Russell W. Graham Michael J. Schmidt Jann S. Grimes * Jeheskel (Hezy) Shoshani * Ronald W. Grimes * Sandra Lee Shoshani * Gary Haynes Allison (Kes) Hillman Smith Joann M. Holden * Raman Sukumar M. Philip Kahl * Pascal E. Tassy Kenneth C. Wylie * Editor: Jeheskel (Hezy) Shoshani Associate Editor: Sandra Lee Shoshani Final Copy Editor: Estelle R. Davidson Bibliography Staff: Billie D. Armstrong Don Marcks Susan K. Bell Eleanor C. Marsac Richard A. Chiger Jules L. Pierce Estelle R. Davidson Ian M. Redmond Iain Douglas-Hamilton Douglas Rigby Colin P. Groves Mary Dwyer Rigby Pamela F. Herzog Faye D. Rosser James K. Holden Jeheskel (Hezy) Shoshani Joann M. Holden Sandra Lee Shoshani M. Philip Kahl Susan M. Wolak Membership Secretary: Sandra L. Shoshani Typists: Eleanor C. Marsac, Susan M. Wolak, and the Editors page i Elephant Volume 2, Number 4, pages ii-iii Copyright © 2000 Elephant Research Fondation CONTENTS Cover - Ahmed. See explanations on the inside of front cover. Page A note from the editors. iv Contributed articles/reports Living African elephants belong to two species: Loxodonta africana (Blumenbach, 1797) and Loxodonta cyclotis (Matschie, 1900) ........................ Peter Grubb, Colin P. Groves, Joseph P. Dudley, and Jeheskel Shoshani 1 Do Loxodonta cyclotis and L. africana interbreed? .........................................................................Colin P. Groves and Peter Grubb 4 What are the elephants of West Africa? ........................................................................................................................Colin P. Groves Are there pygmy elephants?............................................................................................................... Colin P. Groves and Peter Grubb 8 African elephant population estimates and distribution: 1995 update compiled by Gary H. Marchant, Eleanor C. Marsac, and Jeheskel Shoshani 11 Asian elephant population estimates and distribution: 1999 update..................................Raman Sukumar and Charles Santiapillai 12 Report on damage caused by elephants to banana plantations in Haykota area, Zoba Gash-Barka, Eritrea.....................................................................................................................................Hagos Yohannes 13 Observations on elephant habitat and conservation of elephants in Eritrea .......................................................................Jeheskel Shoshani, Hagos Yohannes, and Yacob I. Yohannes 14 Visual and tactile displays in African elephants, Loxodonta africana : a progress report (1991-1997) ................................................... M. Philip Kahl and Billie D. Armstrong 19 Observations on African elephants (Loxodonta africana), including possible urine drinking, during a severe drought in Zimbabwe ................................................. M. Philip Kahl and Billie D. Armstrong 21 Vegetation changes in Tsavo National Park, Kenya, 1885 — 1996: elephant densities and management.................................................................................................................. Daphne Sheldrick 26 Exceptional size and form of Asian elephants in western Nepal.....................................Adrian M. Lister and John Blashford-Snell 33 History, update, and the “baby boom” of elephants in 1987 at the Zoological Center, Ramat-Gan, Israel .................................................................................................................Amelia S. Terkel 37 Do elephants feel pain and if so, how do we know this? ................................................. Jeheskel Shoshani, Lois E. L. Rasmussen, William J. Kupsky, Dalen W. Agnew, and George S. Borszcz 48 Bolivar: “Killer” elephant or abused pachyderm?.................................................................................................. Harold E. Lippman 52 The elephant-wallah’s microcosm...................................................................................................................................Chris Wemmer 55 On CITES and conservation related issues.......................................................................................compiled by Ronald I. Orenstein 60 Captive elephant population of North America: 1988-1999, and notes on other captive elephants elsewhere in the world .................................................. compiled by Sandra L. Shoshani 63 Brief notes/reports Book Reviews Review by Gary H. Marchant and Faye D. Rosser of “The Japanese ivory industry” by Esmond Bradley Martin ........................ 72 Review by Joseph P. Dudley of “African elephants: a celebration of majesty” by Daryl and Shama Balfour, and of “Gone astray: the care and management of the Asian elephant in domesticity” by Richard C. Lair ........................................... 72 Obituaries ...................................................................................................................................................................................
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